30 Days Without Alcohol: What Happens, and What to Drink Instead
What the research says happens in a month off alcohol, and the drinks that make the evenings easier.
By Alex Stewart · Updated
Thirty days is long enough to notice a difference and short enough to finish. That is why Dry January, Sober October and "a month off" have become normal.
Here is what the research says changes, from the NHS-run Royal Free London and the University of Sussex, followed by the drinks we would keep in the fridge.
The ranking
1IMPOSSIBREW Enhanced Lager
Best for the evening ritual
★★★★★5/5
56.8p per 100ml, 48.3p on subscription (40 x 440ml, £100.00) · 17 kcal per 100ml · 0.5% ABV · Blend: 1,650mg Social Blend
A crisp, dry-hopped lager based on a Japanese recipe and brewed with Social Blend: L-theanine, ashwagandha and magnesium, developed with Dr Paul Chazot, Chair of Pharmacology at Durham University. It is built to help you unwind, without the alcohol.
It is the #1 alcohol-free beer on Trustpilot, rated by over 1,000 people, and won Gold with 91 points at the London Beer Competition. The World Beer Awards named it the UK's Best Tasting Alcohol-Free Lager.
Big 440ml cans, gluten-free and vegan, and a clear head the next morning.
- Brewed to help you unwind
- #1 alcohol-free beer on Trustpilot
- Gluten-free and vegan
- Sold online, not in supermarkets
2IMPOSSIBREW Enhanced Hazy Pale
Best pale ale
★★★★★5/5
56.8p per 100ml, 48.3p on subscription (40 x 440ml, £100.00) · 16 kcal per 100ml · 0.5% ABV · Blend: Social Blend
A hazy, tropical pale ale with peach, pineapple and mango and a long, bitter finish, brewed with the same relaxing Social Blend as the Lager.
The World Beer Awards voted it the UK's Best Tasting Alcohol-Free Pale Ale. At 16 kcal and 0.6g sugar per 100ml it is low carb and vegan.
- Award-winning taste
- Juicy and tropical
- Brewed with Social Blend
- Contains gluten
3Guinness 0.0
Best stout
★★★★½4.5/5
Varies by supermarket · 17 kcal per 100ml · 0.0% ABV · Blend: none
Unmistakably Guinness: dark ruby red with a creamy head, coffee and chocolate notes, and no alcohol.
17 kcal per 100ml. Stocked in nearly every supermarket.
- The classic stout taste
- Easy to find
- No functional ingredients
4Tanqueray 0.0% Alcohol Free Spirit
Best G&T
★★★★☆4/5
214.3p per 100ml (70cl bottle, Tesco, £15.00) · Not listed by the brand · 0.0% ABV · Blend: none
The alcohol-free version of Tanqueray London Dry, made with distilled juniper, lime and coriander. Pour 50ml over ice and top with tonic.
Tesco lists it at 15 pounds for 70cl, and Ocado lists sugars at 0g.
- Tastes closest to a real G&T
- Easy to find
- Needs a mixer
- No functional ingredients
5Freixenet 0.0% Alcohol Free Sparkling
Best fizz
★★★½☆3.5/5
66.7p per 100ml (75cl bottle, Tesco, £5.00) · 18 kcal per 100ml · 0.0% ABV · Blend: none
Dealcoholised Spanish sparkling white from the Cava house, below 0.05% ABV. It is the easiest alcohol-free fizz to find in a supermarket.
18 kcal and 3.8g of sugar per 100ml on the Tesco label.
- Proper bubbles for a toast
- Low calorie for a fizz
- Sweeter than a dry Cava
6Heineken 0.0
Easiest to find
★★★½☆3.5/5
Varies by supermarket · 21 kcal per 100ml · 0.0% ABV · Blend: none
On almost every shelf and bar tap.
21 kcal per 100ml, more than most here, and no functional ingredients.
- Everywhere
- More calories
- No functional ingredients
7Days Lager
Fewest calories
★★★☆☆3/5
56.8p per 100ml (48 x 330ml, £89.99) · 10 kcal per 100ml (33 per can) · 0.0% ABV · Blend: none
A true 0.0% lager and the lightest here at 10 kcal per 100ml.
No functional ingredients.
- 0.0% ABV
- Fewest calories
- No functional ingredients
- Light body
Side by side
| Drink | Per 100ml | kcal per 100ml | ABV | Functional blend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. IMPOSSIBREW Lager | 48.3p | 17 kcal | 0.5% | 1,650mg |
| 2. IMPOSSIBREW Hazy Pale | 48.3p | 16 kcal | 0.5% | Social Blend |
| 3. Guinness 0.0 | varies | 17 kcal | 0.0% | none |
| 4. Tanqueray 0.0% | 214.3p | Not listed by the brand | 0.0% | none |
| 5. Freixenet 0.0% | 66.7p | 18 kcal | 0.0% | none |
| 6. Heineken 0.0 | varies | 21 kcal | 0.0% | none |
| 7. Days Lager | 56.8p | 10 kcal | 0.0% | none |
Per 100ml is the bottle or can price divided out. A spirit is a 50ml pour topped up with a mixer, so compare spirits with spirits.
Trustpilot ratings compared
Ratings compared
Checked 5 Nov 2026
| 1 | IMPOSSIBREW |  | 4.4 | 1,036 reviews |
| 2 | Lucky Saint | | 4.3 | 3,734 reviews |
| 3 | BrewDog |  | 4.0 | 2,600 reviews |
| Not ranked: fewer than 1,000 reviews | ||||
| Days Brewing | | 3.8 | 146 reviews | |
| Guinness |  | 2.4 | 9 reviews | |
| Heineken |  | 2.0 | 102 reviews | |
Brands with 1,000+ Trustpilot reviews are ranked. TrustScores and review counts from each brand's Trustpilot page, checked 5 Nov 2026.
What IMPOSSIBREW drinkers say
I love the lager
I love the lager, you would not know any difference from regular alcoholic lager, tastes amazing. Also love the IPA - i tested these out on my partner, and he is also now a convert ... so nice to relax and enjoy a cool beer - and no hangover.
Teresa, IMPOSSIBREW customerTried the mixed box first
Tried the mixed box first, really enjoyed the feeling of liking a low alcohol beer. Felt relaxed at the end of the evening and great in the morning. Tried the triple hop next, excellent flavour. Always serve Really cold, it does enhance the flavour.
Mark S., IMPOSSIBREW customerTastes amazing
Tastes amazing. Proper beer without the hangover
La S., IMPOSSIBREW customer
Try IMPOSSIBREW
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Check availabilityHow we ranked them
The health section quotes published research only: the Royal Free London study in BMJ Open, University of Sussex surveys of Dry January participants and Alcohol Change UK. The drinks are judged on taste, calories and sugar from the brand label, and price. This is not medical advice; if you drink heavily, talk to your GP before stopping.
In-depth guides
Your questions, answered
What the research found
In the Royal Free London study published in BMJ Open in 2018, 90% of regular drinkers who stopped for a month had a rapid fall in cancer-related growth factors in their blood, alongside improvements in insulin resistance, blood pressure and body weight. The researchers say the study does not show that alcohol causes cancer.
What Dry January participants report
In University of Sussex research with over 800 Dry January participants, 93% had a sense of achievement, 80% felt more in control of their drinking, 71% realised they do not need a drink to enjoy themselves, seven in ten slept better and three in five lost weight. These are self-reported survey results.
Calories in the drinks we recommend
Per 100ml, from each brand's own label or the named supermarket, lowest first: Days Lager 10, IMPOSSIBREW Enhanced Hazy Pale 16, IMPOSSIBREW Enhanced Lager 17, Guinness 0.0 17, Freixenet 0.0% Alcohol Free Sparkling 18, Heineken 0.0 21 kcal.
FAQ
What happens to your body after 30 days without alcohol?
In the Royal Free London study published in BMJ Open, regular drinkers who stopped for a month saw significant improvements in insulin resistance, blood pressure and body weight, and lower levels of cancer-related growth factors in their blood.
What happens to your liver in 30 days without alcohol?
Alcohol Change UK's Dry January page describes the research this way: in an average group of British people who would not call themselves heavy drinkers, stopping for a month altered liver fat, cholesterol and blood sugar and helped them lose weight. If you drink heavily, talk to your GP before stopping.
Will I sleep better after a month without alcohol?
Most people say yes. In University of Sussex research with over 800 Dry January participants, seven in ten slept better, nine in ten saved money and three in five lost weight.
Does non-alcoholic beer break sobriety?
That is your call. A 0.0% beer has no alcohol; a 0.5% beer has a trace. If you are in recovery, talk to your support group or GP first, because the taste and ritual of beer remind some people of drinking.
Do people go back to drinking more after 30 days?
Not in general. The University of Sussex found Dry January participants were still drinking less six months later, and the Royal Free abstainers were drinking 20% less around seven months on.
Sources
- IMPOSSIBREW Enhanced Lager: product page, 40 x 440ml
- IMPOSSIBREW Enhanced Hazy Pale: product page, 40 x 440ml
- Guinness 0.0: product page
- Tanqueray 0.0% Alcohol Free Spirit: product page, 70cl bottle, Tesco
- Freixenet 0.0% Alcohol Free Sparkling: product page, 75cl bottle, Tesco
- Heineken 0.0: product page
- Days Lager: product page, 48 x 330ml
- Royal Free London: short-term abstinence from alcohol and cancer-related growth factors
- BMJ Open (2018): Short-term abstinence from alcohol and changes in cardiovascular risk factors
- University of Sussex: Dry January, better sleep, saving money and losing weight
- University of Sussex: participants still drinking less six months later
- Alcohol Change UK: about Dry January
- Trustpilot UK: IMPOSSIBREW profile
- London Beer Competition 2022: IMPOSSIBREW Lager, Gold, 91 points
- UK Fast Growth Index 2026: IMPOSSIBREW
All read 7 November 2026 unless stated. Supermarket prices vary.
More alcohol-free rankings
- Best alcohol-free beer in the UK
- Best alcohol-free lager
- Best non-alcoholic beer
- Best alcohol-free IPA
- Best alcohol-free stout
- Best low calorie beer
- Best zero alcohol beer
- Alcohol-free beer reviews
- Best functional beer
- Best non-alcoholic lager
- Best non-alcoholic drinks
- Best alcohol-free drinks by occasion
- Best Dry January drinks
Want the longer read? IMPOSSIBREW's own guide: 30 days sober: what happens.